UNH’s Andre Anderson couldn’t be denied on Senior Day win over Bentley

Published 6:26 pm, Saturday, November 5, 2016

WEST HAVEN >> Andre Anderson spent most of the past two weeks in a walking boot. Aside from a brief time spent testing his injured foot in a helmet and no pads at practice Friday, he hadn’t participated in any football activities since getting hurt in an Oct. 22 loss to Assumption.

He wasn’t listed on New Haven’s depth chart for the afternoon’s game with Bentley, and appeared to hobble across the field when his name was called during a pregame ceremony to honor the team’s senior class.

But Anderson wasn’t about to sit out on Senior Day. The former Hillhouse star had every intention of playing.

“The past four years have meant too much to me with these seniors,” Anderson said. “I had to go out there, regardless of my health.”

Anderson, one of the best multi-purpose backs to ever play at New Haven, scored the decisive touchdown. His 16-yard scoring run in the third quarter broke a tie and lifted the Chargers to a 17-7 victory over Bentley Saturday before a crowd of 4,732 at DellaCamera Stadium.

New Haven (6-4, 6-3) clinched one more home game. It will play host to Southern Connecticut State next Saturday for third place in the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs.

Defense dominated the day for the Chargers, hit hard by the injury bug and missing key players on both sides of the ball.

Bentley (5-5, 5-5) entered the game in a three-way tie for third, but had little success moving the ball, finishing with 199 yards of total offense for the game. After a first-quarter touchdown run by Matt Montalto capped a 14-play, 71-yard drive, the Falcons entered New Haven’s side of the field only once the rest of the game.

Tyler Condit, the New Haven linebacker who last week broke school and conference records for career tackles, finished with 15 tackles and a sack. Fellow senior D.J. Doman sealed the win with a fourth-quarter interception.

“Collectively, they all stepped up,” New Haven coach Chris Pincince said. “Our secondary did a great job, Tyler was all over the place and our defensive line gave them some pressure for the first time in a long time.”

New Haven, trailing 7-0, tied the score late in the first quarter. Ajee Patterson (15-of-26, 160 yards, one touchdown) found Ty Headen for a 42-yard scoring pass with 47 seconds remaining.

From there, the Chargers, like Bentley, endured offensive problems.

New Haven’s Danny Stock, attempting the longest kick of his career, had a 49-yard field goal attempt blocked in the second quarter. Steve Rossi, the Chargers senior center, was carted off the field in the second quarter. Senior receiver Rishawn Harris later found himself on the cart alongside Rossi.

Successive plays early in the third quarter decided the game.

Bentley fumbled away a punt on its own 16, recovered by New Haven’s Tyler Hill. Anderson, clearly rusty and uncomfortable, scored on the next play from scrimmage.

“It was a power play,” Anderson said. “They’d been a zone all day. Up front guys blocked for me, receivers blocked for me and got me to the second level and I scored. I just did what I usually do.”

Anderson’s day ended early in the fourth quarter when he rolled an ankle. He made it to the sideline with assistance, and then was carried by two teammates to the trainer’s table.

It’s been a frustrating season in terms of injuries for Anderson, the NE-10’s most valuable player last season. The ankle is the sixth different injury he’s suffered since the season began in September, according to Pincince.

Through it all, he still entered the game leading the conference in rushing, rushing touchdowns and was second in all-purpose yards.

“He’s a tough kid,” Pincince said. “He has a lot of pride in this place and takes a lot of pride playing at home; a lot of pride because he grew up down the street. He had about 40 cousins here. He wanted to be sure he got on the field one more time. Thank goodness he did.”

One game remains in his storied career. Anderson, able to limp through the postgame handshake line, has no doubts he’ll be ready to play by Saturday. Especially given that SCSU is the opponent.

He’ll endure treatment throughout the week and take every other measure necessary to get himself back in the lineup. It’s a routine he’s become accustomed to over his career.

“Nobody’s ever really healthy,” Anderson said. “You’re 100 percent for the first day of camp, and then you go from there. I’ve gotten used to playing like that. It’s nothing too big to me. You have to play hurt. I’ll do it again next week. One more time.”